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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. BLACKBURN.

STRAW BRAID SEWING MACHINE.

Patented June 19,1883.

wz TNESSES f (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. BLACKBURN.

STRAW BRAID SEWING MACHINE.

V No. 279,855. Patented June 19,1883.

WITNESSES! N, 'prima mwmhngnpm whingmn. no

(NovModel.) a'sneetsf-sneets.

F. BLACKBURN. Y

STRAW BRAID SEWING MACHINE. No. 279,855. l Patented June 19,1883.

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N. PETERS. Munagnpmr, wnhngkm. n. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rr-ICE.

FREDERICK BLACKBURN@1 PALMYRA, AssieNoR To E. H. novEY, 0E

BEVERLY, NEW JERSEY.

STRAWBRAIDSEWING MACHIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,855, dated June 19, 1883.

Application filed November 13.- ISSQ.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK BLACKBURN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Palmyra, Burlington county, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Straw` Braid-Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate especiallyT to the feed mechanism, to the braid-guides, to the mechanism for4 relieving1 the pressure O11 the braid at intervals, so as to facilitate the turning of the circular mat of braid in sewing the crown of the hat, and to means for automatically lowering` the presser-foot on the commencement of the sewing'operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front View of a sewing-machine of the VillcoX & Gibbs type with my improvements; Fig. 2, a view of the end of the same, looking in the direction of the arrow 1; Fig. 3, Sheet 2, a rear view of the machine; Fig. 4, a transverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. 3; Figs. 5, 6, and 7, Sheet 3, detached perspective views of parts of the feeding mechanism; Figs.- 8, 9, and 10, detached perspective views of parts of the upper braid-guide; Figs. 11, 12, and 18, diagrams illustrating the action of the device for automatically releasing the presser-foot on the commencement of the sew-4 ing operation; Figs. 14 and 15, views illustrating the action of the presser-foot lifter; Fig. 16, Sheet 1, an enlarged sectional view of the means for adjusting thelower braid-guide; and Fig. 17, Sheet 2, an enlarged sectional view of the means for guiding and retaining the same. y

A is the frame of the machine, having bearings for the driving-shaft B and guidesfor the ,needle-bar l) and presser-bar E, the needlebar being actuated by a lever, D, hung to the frame A and driven by means of an eccentric and connecting rod, as usual.

F is the work-plate of the machine, which is made as narrow as possible transversely, so as to permit the turning of the hat, and is provided at both its front and rear edges with a downwardly-proje'cting ilange, as shown in Fig. 2. The worleplate is slotted, as usual, for the reception of the serrated feed-plate a, which is secured to a bar, G, a dovetailed rib, Z), on the back of the latter being adapted to (No model.)

a horizontal slot, b, of similar'form, in a bar,

H, and a dovetailed rib, (l, on the back of said bar H is adapted to a vertical slot, d', in the frame A, so that the` bar G is capable of horizontal'movement on the bar H, and the latter is free to be moved vertically on the frame. These movements are effected by means of two egcentrics, g and l1, on the shaft B. The eecentric g actuates an eccentric-rod, g', which is connected to a slotted arm, gt', on a rockshaft, G, adapted to bearings on the frame A, said shaft having another arm, g, the end of which is embraced by projeetionsff on the bar Gv. (SeeV Figs. 1 to 7.) The reciprocation of the bar H is effected by similar means, comprising the eccentric 71, eccentric-rod hf, slotted arm l1?, rock-shaft H, arm lr, and lugs i '17, so that by properly timing the ecccntrics the desired upward, forward, downward, and backward movements of the feed-plate are efected, the lift of the plate being governed by the adjustment of the end of the rod 7L in respect to the arm h2, and the length of thev feed by the adjustment of the rod g in respect to the arm gt, as will be readily understood.

.l is the guide for the under layer of braid, said guide being litted to the front of theworkplate F, and free to slidelongitudinally thereon, a rib, c, on the plate being adapt-ed to a groove in the back of the guide, and the latter having a slot, c', for the reception of the confining-screw c2, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 17.

The adjustmentof the guide is effected by the means shown in Figs. 1 and 16. To the rear end of the guide is connected a screwstem, my, which is adapted to an internallythreaded opening or nut, m2, in a stem, on', an external thread 011 which is adapted to a threaded opening in a stud, mi", on the frame A. The thread of the stem m right-handed and the thread of the stem m left-handed, so

Vthat on turning the stem m in either direction there will be a compound movement, partly of the stemm in the stud m3 and partly of the stem m in the same direction in the nut m2, formed by the threaded opening of the stem m. The extent of movement of the guide .l is thus greater than that of the stem m, so that rapid adjustment ofthe guide is effected, the right and left threads on the stems m m IOO also tending to prevent the accidental shifting of the guide.

Instead ot' providing the stem m with an internally-threaded opening for the reception of a screw-stem, on, on the guide, the stem m may form a j n'ojection of the stem mf, and may be adapted to a nut on the guide, the resultbeing the same in either case.

K is the guide for the upper layer or mat of braid, this guide having the usual separator-plate, I{,wliieh fits between the upper and.

lower layers of braid. The guide consists of a plate located beneath tllepresser-foot F1, and having its rear end bent upward, and hung, by means of screws l.: 7.', to a bar, L, se cured to the presser-bail E by the same screw which confines the presser-foot.

To an opening, o1, in the plate K is adapted an eccentric or cam, p, which is secured to or forms part of a spindle, II, adapted to turn in a bearing on the bar L, the front end of the spindle having a head, M, whereby said spindle may be readily turned. (See Figs. 3, 8, 9, and 10.) The turning of the spindle causes the cam p to so act on the plate K aste effect the longitudinal movement of the same on the bar L, the plate being slotted for the reception ot' the confining-screws 7c, so as not to interfere with this movement. The guide for the upper braid can thus be readily adjusted by simply turning the spindle M, and said guide may be secured in position, after adjustment, by tightening the screws 71'. The guide .I for the lower braid may also be secured in position, after adjustment, by tightening the screw The pressenbar E of the machine is acted upon by a spring tending to depress the same, as usual, and is maintained in an elevated position by means of a cam` lever, I?, hung to the upper end of the bar E, and adapted to bear upon the top of the frame A. In ordinary machines this lever must.- be manipulated by the attendant, in order to permit the descent of the pressenfoot after the work has been properly adjusted beneath the same. This necessity I obviate by providing the needle-bar D with a pin, a?, which occupies such relation to the lever'l? that when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 1l the pin will, on the descent of the needle-bar, be brought into contact with the long arm of the lever, and will move the latter in the direction of the arrow, this movement continuing until the parts are in the position shown in Fig. I2, immediately after which the lever ceases to exert any control over the presser-bar, and the full descent of the latter, under the action of the spring, is permit-ted, as shown in Fig. 13.

I am aware that I am not the iirst to effect the automatic release of the presser-bar on the commencement ofthe sewing operation, as machines have been devised in which the lever controlling the presser-har has beenactuated by the needlearmon the descent of the needle-bar; hence this feature of my invention is limited to the construction shown, which has been adopted as the simplest and most eii'ective plan. to be used in connection with a ma* chine of the class represented.

In sewing straw-braid in the manuiacture oi' hats or bonnets, especiallywhen sewing the circular mat of braid for the crown, it is advisable to relieve the braid from the pressure of the presser-foot immediately after the completion ot' the feeding operation, so as to permit the ready turning of said circular mat in order to bring it properly under the pressen foot prior to the .next feed. It therefore becom'es necessary to lift the presser-bar slightly in the intervals between the feeding operations, and to accomplish. this I provide the shaft I3 with an eccentric, XV, the rod lw of which is connected to the short arm of a lever, T, hung to the frame A, the long arm of said lever terminating at the presser-bar, and immediately beneath a pin, 1, projecting therei'rom. O-n this pin is a sliding stud, y, which can be adjusted on the pin so as to be within range of the lever T, as shown in Fig. let, or beyond the range of said lever, as shown in Fig. 15. XVhen the stud is in the position shownin Fig. 14, the long arm of the lever T, on each vibration of the latter acts, upon said stud and imparts a slight lift to the presserbar; but when the stud is retracted, as shown in Fig. l5, the lever T fails to exercise any control over the presser-bar, the stud being adjusted to this position when theI machine is sewing those portions of the hat which do not demand the periodical raising of the presserfoot.

The eccentric-rod w has a threaded section, w, by turning which the relation of the end of the long arm of the lever T to the stud 3/ may be so changed as to vary the amount of liftiniparted to the presser-bar. The adjustment of the stud y` on the pin t is effected, in the present instance,by turning said stud, a lug, t, on the pin t being adapted to a cam-slot, y, inthe study, so that theturning of the stud will cause the same to slide to and Afro on the pin:

A spring is preferably interposed between th e head ofthe pin t and a shoulder in the stud y, the tendency of this spring being to thrust the stud toward the presser-bar.

A cam or crank-pin, may replace the eccentric XV, and cams or crank-pins may also replace the eccentrics g and h, if desired, this being within the judgment of the mechanic.

Instead oi providing the rock-shafts G and IIl with arms adapted to engage with lugs on the bars G and II, the latter may have racks adapted to pinions on the shafts, and a rack and pinion may be substituted for the cam or eccentric, whereby the spindle M is caused to actuate the guide K.

I claim as my invention-V l. The combination of the feed-plate of a sewing-machine with a vertically-guided bar, II,

a bar, G, guided horizontally on said bar II, a pair of rock-shafts, G and II', a pair of eccentrics adapted to actuate said rocleshaiits, and mechanism substantially as described, whereby IOO IIO

the rock-shafts are caused to actuate the bars, as set forth.

2. The combination of the feed-plate a, the verticallygui ded bar H, the bar G, guided horizontally on said bar H, and the rock-shafts G and H, having arms g3 and h3, adapted to engage with lugs on the bars G and H, as set forth.

3. The combination of the feed-plate a, vertically-guided bar H, bar G, guided horizontally on the bar H, the rock-shafts G and H', the eccentrics g and la, rods g hf, slotted arms g h2, and arms g h, as set forth.

4. The combi-nation of the braid-guide J with an adjusting device comprising threaded Stems in, and m, nut m2, and stud m, the thread of one stem being right-handed and that of the other left-handed, as set forth.

5. The combination of the presser-bar E, its foot E, and bar L above the same, with the upper braid-guide, K, fitted beneath the presser-foot,

" and having at the reara projection secured to the bar L, but capable 'of adjustmentthereon,

as set forth.

6. The combination of the prsserbar E,.its

foot E, and bar L above the same, with the guide K, iitted beneath the presser-foot, but

having at the rear a projection secured to the 'bar L, and with the horizontal spindle M,car-

ried by the bar' L, and provided -with `means for actuating the guide, as set forth. 3o

7 rlhe combination of the presser-bar Eand the retainingdever P, hung to the upper projecting portion of said bar, and adapted to bear upon the top of thc head A, with the needlebar D, having a laterallyeprojecting pin, fr, 35 adapted to strike said lever P, as Set forth.A

8. The combination of the lever T with the i presser-bar, having a pin, 1, and a stud, i, adjustable on said pin, so as to be within or bevond the control of the lever, as set forth. 4o

9L The combination of the lever T with the presser-bar, having a pin, t, with lug t', and the stud y, capable of turning on the pin, and having a cam-slot, 1', adapted for the reception of said lug, as set forth. 45

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. t

FREDERICK BLACKBURN. Vitnesses:

' HARRY DRURY,

HARRY SMrrn. 

